


Christmas, July, the Rest of Our Lives

by rebelforce



Series: Calendar Girls [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, Marriage Proposal, Modern AU, continuation of Racing By
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 03:23:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13138047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelforce/pseuds/rebelforce
Summary: It took five days, tops, for Rey to fall for Jess, but it took them both five years to get it together enough to propose.The final installment to the Racing By series.





	Christmas, July, the Rest of Our Lives

Lemonade. Sweet grass. The creaky dock on the water. These are all the things Rey had begun to crave during the summer time, after the ground had thawed from a harsh winter. Once the mud on the way to the cow barn was soft enough again for her footprints to stick, Rey began to lust for a week at her very favorite house on the lake. 

5 years ago, Rey had fallen in love there. On a balcony overlooking the lake, under a sky full of infinite stars, she and Jessika had shared a kiss that might as well have served as a marriage proposal. As Rey turned her car into the long driveway of that very house, she took a deep breath, ready for that scenario exactly. 

It was time for their annual 4th of July trip to the lake. Jess had refused to take another day off from the shop, instead opting to stay and make sure they were closed up correctly for the week, so Rey had taken off without her. The day alone was going to give her optimal time to set up her proposal. 

It didn’t feel real. As she turned off the car and stepped out onto the gravel, Rey remembered the first time she’d seen the house, big and old, the porch around the front all but begging her to take a seat and read a book. Rey had been 19 years old then and now, at 24, she was here to propose to her girlfriend. The passage of time was overwhelming her. 

The tarnished metal key was still in the same spot above the front door (even though Jess couldn’t reach it and refused to move it), and Rey hurried to unlock the door. If nostalgia had a scent, that’s what the Pava’s lake house smelled like. It half occurred to Rey that she’d like to bottle and sell it. A sheet of paper was lying on the kitchen counter top, the unmistakable scrawl of Jess’s handwriting spread across the page. 

“July 11th, 2021.

Another annual lake trip come and gone. We’ll see this house again in 365 days, and I’ll just love Rey 365 days more. 

I love you now and I’ll love you then.

\- Jess” 

Rey smiled to herself as she ran her fingers over the words, as if she could reach Jess just by touching the ink in the page. It was moments like this that made Rey know she was making the right choice, that the ring in her pocket was going on the right finger. There’s no way that Jess had known Rey would be the one to find that note, but she wrote it anyways, planning out her romantic notions a year in advance. 

The running joke in their relationship was that Jess was the smooth one. Rey was hopeless, literally, in regards to pick up lines, romantic dates, and gestures. It had always been Jess coming up with romantic gestures (though she’d deny it if someone asked), so Rey decided that for this one time, the ultimate romantic gesture was on her. 

After an hour and some pretty meticulous rearranging, Rey really felt like she’d pulled it off. Rose petals (white, not red, since Jess would hate the cliche) trailed up the stairs to the loft and onto their balcony, where Jess could find two glasses of bourbon (her favorite), pizza, and Rey. 

After unpacking luggage and groceries, Rey sat on the balcony, counting down the seconds until Jess’s car pulled up. Rey closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds of summer around her, the bristling leaves, the splash of fish in the lake, neighborhood kids laughing next door, and finally, blissfully, car tires on gravel followed by the slam of a car door.

Jess

Jess was giddy. She was more than overdue for a vacation, sure, but something about being at the lake house made her feel like a kid again, sweeping every problem she had under the rug to be dealt with after a week of swimming and sunshine. 

The house always looked the way she remembered, if just slightly more weathered as the years went on. Her parents had purchased the house from an old couple decades ago, so she had no idea how long it had been since anyone had really spruced the place up. A mental note was made to ask her mom about getting the siding re-done. 

Jess felt a little guilty about letting Rey come up here alone, leaving her girlfriend to do all of the hauling while Jess just rolled up to an already opened house. 

“Rey?” Jess called into the room as she clicked the door shut behind her. No reply. 

A smattering of something was on the floor in the hallway, trailing away from the kitchen. 

“Rey? Did you leave a window open? There’s all kinds of - oh.” Upon closer inspection, Jess realized they were flower petals. She smiled to herself, blushing a little. 

“Rey, what are you up to?” 

Jess laughed as her girlfriends voice finally responded. “Will you just come up here?” 

Jess took the stairs to the loft two at a time, anxious to see what Rey was playing at. The petals trailed up and over the windowsill at the top of the stairs, the window already propped open. Jess folded her arms over the edge, popping her head outside. 

“What’s going on out here?” 

Rey turned around, smiling. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“I can see that.” 

There were two glasses on the railing, a blanket laid out on the deck with a pizza box in the center. Jess climbed through the window, grabbing Rey’s hands and kissing her, a grin on both of their faces. 

“Happy anniversary, Jess.” Rey handed Jess her own glass, taking a sip of her own. She cringed, swallowing the bitter liquid. “You like this stuff?” 

Jess laughed, nodding. “I do. Not as much as I like you.” 

Rey rolled her eyes, pulling Jess to sit down with her. “I hope you’re hungry?” 

The two women spent hours on that balcony, laughing, drinking, and reminiscing on the five amazing years together. The sun came down eventually, the sky dusted with the pinks and oranges of a summer sunset. 

“You thought of everything,” Jess cooed as Rey lit a candle, illuminating the both of them in a warm glow. 

“For the bugs,” Rey clarified, “but also so I can see you better.” 

Jess giggled, leaning her head on Rey’s shoulder. “Hey I love you, you know that?” 

“I do,” Rey kissed the top of Jess’s head, before resting her own head in her girlfriend’s. 

“I remember the first time we kissed.” 

“It was right here in this spot.” Rey laced their fingers together. 

“That was a good kiss.” Jess mused, “Wasn’t I crying?”

“You were,” Rey laughed at the memory, remembering what had brought them there in the first place. “Poe said something stupid.”

Jess sighed, laughing as well. “Leave it to Poe. At least it got us together.” 

“I’ve never regretted that for a second.” 

“Even five years later?” 

“No,” Rey shook her head. “Not even for a second.” It was true. Their relationship had been hard, and both of them had some difficult times to get through, but every moment had lead to where they are now. 

Jess picked her head up and kissed Rey, running her fingers through her hair. “You’re so beautiful.” 

Rey pulled back as though analyzing Jess, a smirk on her face. “You’re alright I guess.” 

Jess scoffed in mock offense, making to move away from her girlfriend. Rey giggled, grabbing Jess before she could get away. “Wait stay here, I have a question for you.” 

With one hand holding both of Jess’s, Rey flipped a little box out from her pocket. “Marry me?” 

She opened the top of the box, exposing the delicate silver band inside, two small woven bands strung together. Jess’s mouth hung open, her expression shocked. 

“Me?” Her eyes searched Rey’s frantically. “You want me marry me?” 

“Well you see, that’s why I asked.” Rey was looking at Jess expectantly, the sound of summer frogs filling the silence. 

“Are you sure?” Jess was still in a state of shock, her eyes wide enough to reflect the moon above them. 

“Jessika,” Rey was laughing now, cupping Jess’s face in her hands. “I’ve seen you cry, I’ve seen you naked, I’ve seen how angry you can get when someone drives 5 miles under the speed limit. I’ve held you in my arms and let you cry over your father, no matter how many times I have to tell you that wasn’t your fault. And I still love you. Through your temper. Through your laughter. The good and the bad, all of it.” 

“I don’t deserve it.” 

“Well that’s for me to decide, isn’t it?” 

A tear slipped down Jess’s cheek, and Rey realized how unexpectedly hard it was going to be to get Jess to give herself over completely. 

“Jess, you’ve heard my dirty laundry. You know all about my fucked up family. I put pineapple on my pizza, and you still love me, right?” 

“Of course I do.” 

“Then that’s all that matters.” Rey leaned forward and kissed Jess, not caring that her lips were wet with tears. “Now will you fucking marry me?” 

Jess nodded, throwing her arms around Rey, knocking them backwards onto the blanket. 

“Yes, Rey. Yes I’ll fucking marry you.” Jess pressed their lips together, the frogs cheering them on again, just as they had five years ago.

“Cheers to five years, Jess.” 

“Cheers to the rest of our lives.” 

 

Christmas Day, 2022

 

Rey had seen snowfall before. She’d seen five years of it now, but there was something about standing inside with a cup of coffee and pajamas, watching the little flakes trickle down that she never got tired of. 

“Merry Christmas, Rey.” Two arms snuck around Rey’s waist, the voice belonging to her sleepy fiancé. 

“Merry Christmas, Jess. Did you sleep okay?” 

Rey felt Jess’s laughter rather than heard it. “Let’s just say you wore me out plenty before bed last night.” 

Rey blushed, but laughed, covering her mouth as to not be loud. “Good to hear.” 

Jess snuck the cup of coffee out of Rey’s hand, taking a sip as she moved to sit on the couch. 

“You’re a thief.” Rey accused, curling up beside Jess and stealing the cup back. The remnants of the fire from the night before still burned enough to keep them warm, so they lounged for a while before Luke made his way into the room a bit later. 

“Good morning girls. Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Dad.” Rey smiled at him, his hair slightly ruffled from sleep and his reindeer pajama pants tucked into his sock on one side. 

They opened gifts around a rekindled fire before Jess made breakfast, claiming it was her best way to contribute to all that Luke had done for them this year. He’d fully accepted Jess as an additional daughter, and the news of the girls engagement had brought tears to the man’s eyes. Between Han and Luke, Jess now had more father’s than she knew what to do with. 

Luke slipped outside sometime around noon to gather firewood as the snow continued to fall, making the Skywalker farm look more like a Christmas card with each passing moment. Jess and Rey were in the middle of watching the Santa Clause, when Rey noticed something under the tree. 

“Hey, did we forget a gift?” Rey nudged Jess’s shoulder, pointing to the two boxes under the tree. 

Jess smirked, “yeah I put those under there while you were in the bathroom about, um,” She checked her watch, “two hours ago? Took you long enough to notice.” 

Rey giggled and stood up, picking up the boxes before turning to Jess in confusion. “One of them is for you?” 

“Yeah.” Jess nodded, readjusting as Rey returned to her spot on the couch. “They’re from my mom.” 

Jess’s mother had been trapped on the other side of the country on another business trip, the snowstorm delaying or canceling any flights into Maine. Diana had sent the gifts in the mail as a last resort with a strict “do not open before Christmas” rule that had made Jess roll her eyes. 

“I’ve been told you should open yours first,” Jess instructed her fiancée, puttering her arm behind Rey and landing a kiss on her shoulder. 

The box in Rey’s hands was small, about the size a piece of jewelry would come in, wrapped in brown paper with a satin green bow. Rey tugged at a lose end gingerly, unwrapping the gift with the tenderness and care that had made Jess fall in love in the first place.

Inside of the box were two gold keys on a simple ring, the cold metal reflecting the warm light from the fireplace. “What are these for?” Rey turned to Jess, her expression mildly confused. 

“Maybe that’s my queue to open this then?” The gift in Jess’s lap was flat and wide, just about an inch tall, wrapped in the same fashion as Rey’s. Under the lid of the box was simply a packet of paper stapled in the corner, with a far more official looking document underneath. It took Jess a moment to understand what she’d been given, but after scanning the document quickly, she understood. 

“Jess?” Rey was searching her eyes, warm hazel in deep brown. “What is it?” 

“She gave us the house.” Jess was smiling, despite the tears beginning to blur her vision. She looked down at the deed in her hands, overwhelmed by the gift her mother had given them. 

“She... gave us.... what?” Rey was apparently stunned, reaching out to grab the papers from Jess. As she rifled through the box, a folded paper fell out, covered in neat handwriting that Jess recognized as her mother’s.

“To my dearest girls,” Rey read, her voice even, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there to give you this in person, but a written letter will have to do. This year was an amazing milestone for you both, and Rey, I am beyond happy to welcome you into our little family. There is no one better suited for my Jess than you. After hearing where you proposed, I came to realize how special that house must be to you both. It was (is) special to me as well, which is what makes it so much more meaningful that I pass it down to you amazing women. Keep it, sell it, rent it out. Do whatever makes the two of you happy, because that’s all I want. Rey you make my daughter smile brighter than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you for bringing her back to me after I thought she’d never be the same again. 

I love you both so incredibly much. Merry Christmas.

Love, Mom.” 

Rey looked up at Jess, and as though a switch had been flipped, began to sob. Jess threw her arms around Rey, letting her fall into Jess, shoulder. 

“I hope you’re crying because you’re happy about this.” Jess chuckled, her own tears slipping down her cheeks. 

“I’ve just...” Rey sat up, folding Jess’s hands into her own. “I’ve never felt so loved before and... I’m overwhelmed.” 

Jess felt her heart melt into a puddle as she leaned forward to catch Rey’s mouth in a kiss. “You better get used to this, because my one goal is to make sure you feel this way forever.” 

Rey nodded wordlessly, lower lip trembling. The golden keys were still clutched in her palm, cutting little indents into her flesh. “The lake house is ours,” she whispered as if she still couldn’t believe it. 

Jess couldn’t believe it either. She remembered being a kid and sitting on the edge of the porch by herself, her swinging feet just barely grazing the grass below, daydreaming about owning a house like that someday. A house on a lake where she could make memories, toast marshmallows, and kiss under the stars. Now she has the girl and the house, and the world was starting to feel a bit surreal. 

Breaking out of her thoughts, she smiled at Rey, standing up from the couch. “We’re seriously in need of some celebratory champagne.” 

“It’s 11am,” Rey sniffled, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek. 

Jess shrugged, popping the cork off a bottle she’d grabbed from Luke’s fridge. “It’s Christmas, babe. Doesn’t matter.” 

Rey smiled finally as Jess handed her a glass, taking her rightful seat at Rey’s side. 

“Here’s a toast,” Jess started, holding her glass out in front of her. “To ending an amazing 2022, and looking forward to 2023.” 

“Here’s to our wedding.” Rey added. 

“Here’s to Christmas. And to July.” Jess smiled. 

“Here’s to the rest of our lives.” Rey clinked their glasses together, her voice hushed, filled with wonder and happiness. 

Jess felt warmth tingle from head to toe, a feeling of sheer peace and delirious contentment. The silver band on her ring finger reminded her every day of how happy she was, but Rey kept proving to her every day the reason why she was so happy in the first place.

It was Rey. Jess’s happiness lived in Rey, like a sweet bird nestled safely into a nest. As snow fell around them, seated warm in Luke’s living room by the fire and the glowing lights of the Christmas tree, neither of those girls had ever felt a happiness so solid and safe. 

They’d live like that forever, Jess knew. Their pasts had seemed to fall away, the pain and loneliness becoming obsolete. They were both deliriously happy now, the rest of the world racing by. 

Rey smiled at Jess, so Jess smiled at Rey, and that’s all they were ever going to need.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and commenting. Thank you to everyone who had so many kind things to say, for all of the feedback, for simply loving these guys like I do. I’m wrapping up the series here, because it feels like it’s time. I hope you’re all having an amazing Christmas if you celebrate, and if you work retail, may the force be with you. Stay safe and happy, all of you <3


End file.
